‘Peresvet’ and ‘Zadira’: Russia unveils new laser weapons in response to Ukraine conflict

*Paromita Das
While the West continues to send weapons and pledges billions of dollars in war aid to Ukraine, Russia claims to have used its two “state-of-the-art” laser weapon systems—”Peresvet” and “Zadira”—to burn drones.

According to Reuters, the announcement was made on Thursday by Yury Borisov, the deputy prime minister in charge of military development, who stated that even more powerful laser-based weapons capable of destroying their targets are being tested and deployed in the war.
The deputy prime minister cited a recent test in which the Zadira burned a drone more than five kilometers (three miles) away in seconds.

“If Peresvet blinds, then the new generation of laser weapons lead to the physical destruction of the target — thermal destruction, they burn up,” he said on Russian state television, according to Reuters.

He referred to “Zadira” as the most powerful laser system other than Peresvet.

Ukraine’s President Vlodomyr Zelensky, on the other hand, dismissed the claims, drawing parallels with Nazi Germany’s “so-called wonder weapons,” which were “unveiled in a bid to prevent defeat in World War Two.”
“The more it became clear that they had no chance in the war, the more propaganda there was about an amazing weapon that would be so powerful as to ensure a turning point,” he said in a late-night video address, according to Reuters.

What information do we have about the two laser weapons?

1) In 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin debuted a slew of new and lethal weapons, including an intercontinental ballistic missile, underwater nuclear drones, a supersonic weapon, and a laser system.

2) Little is known about the new laser’s specifications. Putin mentioned Peresvet, which was named after the medieval Orthodox warrior monk Alexander Peresvet, who died in mortal combat.
3) According to Borisov, Peresvet is already widely used and can blind satellites up to 1,500 kilometers above Earth.

4) When asked if such weapons were used in Ukraine, Borisov responded: “True. There, the first prototypes are already in use.” He stated that the weapon’s name was “Zadira.”

5) Though no public information about Zadira is available, the Russian media reported in 2017 that it was developed as part of a program to develop weapons-based new physical principles.